USA
The United States, officially United States of America, abbreviated USA ( English : United States of America, abbreviated USA or US), a federation of 50 states and the District of Columbia , mostly in North America located. Two of the fifty states, Alaska and Hawaii , borders on the other states. The country also possesses several islands in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean . The United States is the third largest country in the world in population after China and India . Also, it is the third largest country in area after Russia and Canada . The US is bounded on the north by Canada and in the south by Mexico . The coast is formed by the Pacific Ocean while the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Mexico south of the country lie. The maritime border with Russia is among the Diomede Islands : Big Diomede (in Russia) and Little Diomede (in Alaska ). The two islands are only a few kilometers apart. Alaska has its northern border to the Arctic Ocean . Washington, DC is the capital and the political center, New York is the largest city and economic center. Among the remote areas of the United States include: * In the Caribbean Basin: Puerto Rico (a free state associated with the United States) and the Virgin Islands (which in 1917 from Denmark were purchased) as well as the island of Navassa by which Haiti is claimed; * In the Pacific: Guam (ceded by Spain after the Spanish-American War ), the Northern Mariana Islands (a commonwealth associated with the United States), American Samoa , Wake Island and several other islands. The US has far-reaching cooperation agreements with the independent countries Marshall Islands , Palau and Micronesia . These agreements, known as the Compacts of Free Association , regulate the financial assistance and the defense of these countries by the United States, as well as general military use of areas in it. Moreover, the US with its neighbors Mexico and Canada are connected in NAFTA . Contents * 1 History * 2 Geography ** 2.1 Political geography ** 2.2 Cities ** 2.3 Physical Geography ** 2.4 Climate * 3 Government ** 3.1 Political parties ** 3.2 Foreign policy ** 3.3 The United States is seen by other countries * 4 Population ** 4.1 Immigration ** 4.2 Social Classes ** 4.3 Religion ** 4.4 Jurisdiction and polity * 5 Economics * 6 Transport * 7 Culture * 8 Education * 9 Healthcare * 10 Defense * 11 Symbolism * 12 Public Holidays * 13 See also * 14 External link * 15 Nuts * 16 References History The Mayflower , the ship the Pilgrims brought to America in 1620 The area that is now occupied by the continental part of the United States was originally inhabited by numerous Native American peoples and was colonized from the 16th century by Spain , England , Netherlands , Sweden , France and Russia . The role of the Netherlands and Sweden was played in 1664. As a result of the French and Indian War (1754-1763) Britain took the French colonies in North America largely over. This brought most of the East Coast under British control. The settlers had the protection of motherland England against the French no longer needed, and began to oppose British taxation.The thirteen colonies declared their independence from Britain in 1776, when the Revolutionary War began. In 1783 it recognized Kingdom of Great Britain independence. A government was formed which a new constitution drafted which became effective after 1789. The new nation began to spread quickly in a westerly direction, leaving existing tensions over the issue of black slavery , which divided the country into a southern section which defended slavery (the Confederacy ) and a northern part which turned her down ( the Union ), became stronger. There was a civil war (1861-1865) that ended with the victory of the northern states and the gradual abolition of slavery in the South. The rest of the 19th century was marked by an increased expansion to the West at the expense of the original indigenous population, industrialization and the influx of millions of immigrants. In the 20th century the United States participated in both World Wars , which were finally settled by their intervention in favor of the Allied armies. After the Second World War , when the United States had fallen after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States became a world power. During the Cold War were the United States and the Western world against the Soviet Union and the communist bloc . Geography Political geography Map: CIA World Factbook The following statements form part of the UnitedStaten: Alabama - Alaska - Arizona - Arkansas - Californië - Colorado - Connecticut - Delaware -Florida - Georgia - Hawaï - Idaho - Illinois - Indiana - Iowa - Kansas - Kentucky - Louisiana - Maine - Maryland - Massachusetts - Michigan -Minnesota - Mississippi - Missouri - Montana - Nebraska - Nevada - New Hampshire - New Jersey - New Mexico - New York - North Carolina -North Dakota - Ohio - Oklahoma - Oregon - Pennsylvania - Rhode Island - South Carolina - South Dakota - Tennessee - Texas - Utah - Vermont -Virginia - Washington - West Virginia - Wisconsin - Wyoming . The District of Columbia is not a state but a federal district. The declaration of independence in 1776 , there were 13 states. Alaska is the largest state (1,700,578 square kilometers), and Rhode Island, the smallest (4003 sq km). California has the largest population (33,871,648 in 2000), while Wyoming has the smallest population (493 782 2000). In the late 20th century experienced Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Colorado, Utah, Georgia and Texas the fastest rate of population growth. West Virginia, North Dakota and the District of Columbia had at that time on the other hand due to population declines. The states of the United States also have nicknames, which they usually can be found on the license plates of cars. Towns The six largest cities in the United States are: # New York # Los Angeles # Chicago # Houston # Philadelphia # Phoenix A selection of other big cities(alfabetisch): Albuquerque , Atlanta , Austin , Baltimore , Boston , Charlotte , Cincinnati , Cleveland , Columbus , Dallas, Denver , Detroit , El Paso , Fresno , Honolulu , Indianapolis , Jacksonville , Las Vegas , Long Beach , Memphis , Miami , Milwaukee , Minneapolis, Nashville , New Orleans , Oklahoma City , Pittsburgh , Portland , Richmond , Sacramento , St. Louis , Salt Lake City , San Antonio , San Diego ,San Francisco , San Jose , Seattle , Tampa , Tucson , Virginia Beach , Washington DC Physical Geography The Teton Range , part of the Rocky Mountains The landscape of the United States varies greatly. It can be divided into seven broad geographic areas. From east to west: * coastal plain along the Atlantic coast * the mountain range of the Appalachians * The Mississippi Plain * The Great Plains * the mountain range of the Rocky Mountains * the intermontane areas of the Great Basin * the Cascade Range along the Pacific The grounds of the northern United States was formed by a large continental ice sheet in North America during the late Cenozoic period arose. The southern edge of the ice cap is roughly in a line to the east by Long Island and runs west along the rivers Ohio and Missouri to the Rocky Mountains . The country was north of this line covered with ice. Alaska and the mountains in the northwest of North America once had extensive mountain glaciers and were severely eroded . Great Salt Lake and other lakes in the area are remnants of the Ice Age. In the southwestern United States, there are deserts . These are the hottest and driest places in the country. Along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, the Mediterranean climate (eg in Southern California ). This climate gradually changes into the marine environment of the west coast . The northwest is one of the wettest parts of the United States and is densely forested. Rocky mountains, such as the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada , are typical highland climates and are heavily forested. In addition to the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the Great Salt Lake in Utah, there are other natural wonders in the country, such as the Niagara Fallson the border of Canada and the US; the cliffs of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah; and the geysers of Yellowstone National Park , mainly in Wyoming. There are more than 50 national parks . The management of these parks is owned by the National Park Service , which also manages the national monuments and several other properties. Like all areas along the edge of the Pacific Ocean , the west coast of the US an earthquake zone . San Francisco is located right on the San Andreas Fault . In 1906 this led to a massive earthquake that killed 3,000 deaths; in 1989 there was a lighter, which "only" a few dozen were killed. In the northwestern states of Washington and Oregon are a number of volcanoes , including Mount Saint Helens in 1980 led to a spectacular eruption. Climate The United States has a varied climate, ranging from tropical rainforests of Hawaii and tropical savannah of South Florida ( Everglades ) up and subarctic tundra climate in Alaska. East of the hundredth meridian (the general dividing line between dry and humid climates), the climate is humid and subtropical. The northeastern United States has a humid continental climate. Vast forests are found in both areas. West of the hundredth meridian, there is a steppe climate . Annually recurring disasters are tornadoes in the Midwest and more devastating tropical hurricanes in the southeast. Since the weather forecasts have improved greatly through satellite, people can timely nail down their homes and make his escape. The damage may nonetheless be immense, especially if the accompanying tidal wave reaches the coast, as in the case of Katrina , in 2005 New Orleans flooded. Government The Capitol The United States are on the Constitution -based federal republic with a strong democratic tradition. Presidential elections are held every four years. The president of the United States is not elected directly, but indirectly elected under a system of electors . The number of electors per state is determined on the basis of thecensus which takes place every ten years. Furthermore gets under Amendment XXIII of the United States Constitution the District of Columbia three electors, although it is not a state. According to the constitution, the Parliaments of the states may determine the rules for electing the electors, but most states follow the principle that all presidential electors of the state in the case gets secured a majority of electoral votes in that state. Who has the most electoral votes at national level, wins the election and becomes president. In 1876, 1888 and 2000 was the candidate with the most votes would not the greatest number of electoral votes. A president can be elected more than twice. The presidential candidates have been choosing their running mate for the elections, the vice president intended. Barack Obama , on January 20, 2009, was sworn in and four years later began his second term, the first African-American was who held the highest political office in the United States. The Congress (US Congress) is the parliament consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives . Political parties The federal and state governments are dominated by the two largest political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats . The Republican Party is more conservative, the Democratic Party progressive. There are several other, smaller parties, but they have little influence in national politics. The political parties in the United States has no formal "leaders" like many other countries, although there are complex hierarchies within the political parties that form various executive committees. Both major parties are ideologically very diverse; so within a party usually both moderates and radicals, there may be considerable disagreement about, say, the death penalty, abortion or the degree of autonomy of the states versus federal authority. Civil society groups, organizations and wealthy individuals provide financial support for both major parties. Republicans generally receive more funding and support from business groups, professing Christians, and rural Americans, while the Democratic Party receives more support from unions and ethnic minority groups. Because the US federal election almost entirely through purchased airtime is being fought in the media, they are among the most expensive in the world. The total cost of the presidential campaigns of all candidates run together in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Therefore, access to funds is crucial in the political system. Corporations, unions and other organized groups that provide funding and political support to parties, play a role in setting political agendas and government decision-making. The political system of the United States has historically been a catch-all batches than supported coalition governments. This is largely due to the electoral system of single district system , in which only candidates who have elected the highest number of votes. Choosing a chance favorite candidate deemed most voters regard as a lost voice. Moreover, a lot of money and a good organization needed to be elected. This gives smaller parties the greatest difficulty to penetrate politics. Occasionally know a "third" party or candidate to come to the fore with great dissatisfaction with both Democrats and Republicans, as Theodore Roosevelt in the presidential elections of 1912 and Ross Perot in the 1992 presidential elections , but such successes were rarely permanent. The electoral system has ensured that there are always two sides are dominant. In the past, sometimes a dominant party replaced by another, as in the past the Federalist Party , the Whig Party and the Democratic-Republican Party presidents delivered. Politicians have a strong regional constituencies and not seek to bind large party, presenting himself as an independent candidate, but usually with a republican or democratic background. Many constituencies have a great republican or democratic majority and are considered 'safe' for the party. The political fight focused then on the primaries, in which candidates for the radical political party must win. That could conflict with the desire to present a candidate for election with more moderate views for the entire electorate. In a district system, the districts must be redefined periodically in order to keep the number of voters per district approximately equal despite demographic changes. When smart redrawing of borders has allowed the ruling party to make electoral gains. The trick is to focus the voters of the opposition in some districts so that those that have large majorities (but this little get seats) they spread other opposition voters from other districts so that they have there fairly large minorities. These manipulations were so fagrant, resulting in districts with very strange and complex boundaries, which must determine the boundaries neutral judges in some states. Foreign policy As a result of the military, economic and cultural domination of the United States in the world spends US politics much attention to foreign relations. Since the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the US is more than ever the most powerful country in the world, 4 a situation that it too must learn to cope. On one hand, the huge preponderance arouses suspicion, on the other hand is by those who are in an emergency situation (Kuwait, Rwanda, former Yugoslavia) quickly appealed to the United States because it's where the best resources for strong intervention also has the world. US foreign policy has changed several times in the history of track between isolationism and interventionism . The most dramatic example of isolationism was the refusal to join after the First World War to the League of Nations , to the disappointment of President Woodrow Wilson . John F. Kennedy who became president when the Cold War kept the world in its grip, was an outspoken interventionist. The United States is seen by other countries As a result of the huge political and cultural influence responses to US policies are often violent and sometimes irrational. source? It ranges from admiration of all things "American" for his anti-Americanism . An extreme example of anti-Americanism is stamped by the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini of the US as the Great Satan, "to distinguish it from the" Little Satan ", Iraq, during Saddam Hussein. US admiration often stems from the fact that many people see it as the land of freedom. They admire the United States as the oldest modern democracy and respect for the American Dream . For many Europeans still comes as gratitude for the liberation of the Nazi Germany and Italy under Mussolini during the Second World War at. Opponents of the foreign policy of the USA, however, find that the US has shown little respect for their history for the freedom and sovereignty of many other nations. America would have a hand of support to rogue states. Critics point include the Vietnam War or the US interference in Latin America , which feels treated as America's backyard. In the Islamic world is America's continued support of Israel a stumbling stone and the war in Afghanistan and the Iraq war are deemed unfair by critics. Population New York is the largest city in the United States Skyline of Los Angeles In the census of 2010 the country had 308 745 538 inhabitants. In 1776 the original states counted only three million inhabitants, in 1915 already 100 million in 1968 and 200 million people. 5 More than 79% of the population lives in the city (and more than half of them in the suburbs). About 65% of the population is of European origin (Census Bureau, 2004), but this rate has a downward trend by expanding other groups through immigration and births. According to the 2000 census was the largest minority group of Latinos that 48.4 million people, 15.8% of the population represented. This figure includes people of Mexican, Puerto Rican and Cuban origin. Of this group, 63% are white and 37% black or colored. The African-American population was 38.15819 million, or 12.4% of the population, although there was an additional 0.6% of the population of partially African-American origin. The Asian population was 13,842,998 in 2000, or 4.5%, and consisted mainly of people of Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean or Japanese origin. Native American population of the United States, such as Eskimos in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands , counted 2,475,956 souls, or 0.9% of the total population. Roughly one-third of Native Americans living in sanctuaries , the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands or another country under US jurisdiction, such as Puerto Rico . There were 2000 398.835 Hawaiians and other Oceaniërs , representing 0.1% of the population. Immigration Besides the original group of British settlers in the numerous colonies of the Atlantic Coast, other national groups were introduced by immigration . The large numbers of Africans were transported under hopeless circumstances for slave labor, particularly in the plantations of the South. When the United States struck arrangements with the West (including some groups of former French and Spanish settlers), the immigrants from Europe flooded into the country. An important group were the Scots and Irish . Just before the mid-19th century were Irish and German immigrants predominant. After the civil war came the immigrants mainly from the nations of South and East Europe: Italy, Greece, Russia, the part of Poland which then belonged to Russia, and Austria-Hungary and the Balkans. During this period there were also large numbers of immigrants from China. During the peak years of immigration between 1890 and 1924, more than 15 million immigrants in the United States. After the 1924 immigration law immigration was severely restricted until the mid-60s Since the 80s there have been large numbers of new immigrants added. The figures indicate that the proportion of non-indigenous people is 11.1% (2000), the highest rate since the census of 1930; more than 40% more than the 31 million foreigners in 1990. More than half of all immigrants in the United States comes from Latin America and more than a quarter comes from Asia . The US is facing many illegal immigrants who come across the border from Mexico. In 2006, it was assumed that the number of illegal immigrants would be approximately 12,000,000. The incentives for illegal immigration are found in the large differences in prosperity between North America with Central and South America, illegal immigrants can find pretty simple work their black and underpaid is offered. 6 Social classes The gross national product of the United States is the highest in the world and the average American is in terms of wealth in tenth place of the world. 7 Nevertheless, 15% of the population lives below the official national poverty level. 8 The social structure the United States is somewhat layered, extremely rich but have a disproportionate cultural and political influence. source? The Gini coefficient (which shows income inequality) is 40.8% and is the third highest of all developed nations ( After South Africa and Mexico ). source? Religion Since the First Amendment in 1791 of the US Constitution to freedom of religion and separation of church and state guarantees, which main purpose was to obstruct a state church. The influence of religion in politics is much greater today than in many Western European countries. The majority of Americans are Christian . 9 The percentage of believers in the United States is much higher than compared to countries with similar welfare, such as in Europe, would expect. One possible explanation for this is personal insecurity in the harsh society and the social support that churches can offer it. 10 Within Christianity it carries Protestantismpredominates; about 55% of all Americans are Protestant. That equates to about 165 million Protestants (2005 census). This may explain why since independence in 1776 only one Catholic president has been: John F. Kennedy . Within American Protestantism there are many different currents spread over numerous churches, which is an important difference with the Catholic population. A recent Latin American immigrant and a descendant of Italian, Polish and Irish immigrants in the 19th century all belong to the same Catholic Church, despite differences in spirituality and contrasts between conservatives and progressives. In 2005 there were 65 million Catholic Americans. Their number is growing mainly thanks to immigration from Latin America. Several Eastern Orthodox Churches , coming from immigrants from Eastern Europe, have a tiny share.Moreover hang roughly 1.5% (2005) of Americans Judaism ; and 0.6% (2005) is Muslim (2005 census). The Buddhism by 0.5% (2005) espoused the faith. According to the Gallup Poll of December 2011, the percentage share of the population has fallen from a formal member of the Christian churches. 11 Nevertheless, according to this poll, the US remains a predominantly Christian nation, with 78% of adults in recognize a form of Christianity, more than 90% who believe in God and eight in ten who say faith in their lives to be very important. Pew Research reported in 2015, according to a study in October 2014 that the number of people who join a church had fallen to 71%. 12 31% of non-believers claimed to be atheist or agnostic. Partly because of the great ethnic, cultural and religious diversity in the country are government often secular . Combined with the high percentage of religious people which sometimes leads to conflicts. So may atpublic schools are not in a group prayer and is often debated in public buildings or a crucifix should be hung. At private schools the parents sometimes try to influence the curriculum: should the theory of evolution be or not treated? Law and polity In the United States, the Anglo-Saxon is common law applied, whereby a common jurisprudence and jury trials play a major role. Even complex commercial disputes are judged by a jury. The legal systems of the federation and the individual states are separate and have their own laws, including constitution, taxes, prosecutors, police, courts and prisons. Which laws apply (federal or state) is determined in the Constitution.Within states may also local laws / regulations apply. Legislation may be conflicting: it is now legal in some states, sometimes under conditions of cannabis use while it is prohibited by federal laws. In the federal system there are three powers : the legislature (Congress and Senate) who designs laws, the executive (the President) shall be the subject of veto has and the judiciary (the Supreme Court ), which reviews draft laws to the federal constitution. But the latter can only indirectly, through statements in specific lawsuits that then form a leading case for all courts. In some cases, such as abortion, the Supreme Court has settled the case with a verdict. The complicated, based on jurisprudence law and the strong American claim culture , there are many lawyers and legal staff active. Every big company has a comprehensive legal department to protect themselves.Wealthy Americans can avoid by paying deposits to come in for detention and can afford good lawyers. Many prosecutions are handled by the plea bargain system in which the accused admits guilt in exchange for a reduced sentence. Defendants can also choose to start with a clean slate and all crimes to confess, even those crimes which are not yet known to the police, so she can not be there later sentenced discovered as new evidence. Sometimes always chooses to confess an innocent make debt because in litigation risk a very high penalty imposed on them. Especially if the accused does not have the (financial) resources to (have) a research introduce himself, sometimes only during the trial (and therefore after the plea bargain) clear what evidence the prosecution has. Some also claim that the American justice system is a class justice systemis. Once convicted, it is difficult to get a case reopened. In contrast, a person who is acquitted once again for the same offense not being sued. Penalties can be combined almost unlimited (one penalty per proven fact), so jailing of hundreds of years can be pronounced. The death penalty is applied federally and in many states. 13 There is a large public debate about the death penalty and the manner of execution. Despite many appeals are innocents executed. 14 Since 1973, more than 150 death sentences have been destroyed. 15 The United States has the dubious honor of having the highest number of prisoners per capita. 16 17 Additionally, Americans of African origin over represented. In recent decades there has been a great hardening in the sentence. Many laws now impose minimum sentences on which the court may depart from. Some states use the three strikes and you're out rule, where the third offense, however minor, a life sentence is imposed. Under political pressure from the population, many reintegration, amnesty and commutation rules abolished or limited. Some prisons are so overcrowded that judges have ordered releases because of the inhumane conditions. Alarmed by these abuses by politicians and judiciary measures to reduce the number of prisoners. The possession and use of firearms is considered a fundamental right in the United States, recorded as such in the second amendment of the constitution. Opinions differ on the interpretation of this Article vary as do the laws of individual states and local authorities (there are many cities where gun ownership is limited), but in general, firearms and can easily be purchased. There are regular incidents of troubled people randomly shoot others, as well as accidents involving weapons, which alleged burglars example housemates appear to be or where children get their hands inadequately stored firearms from their parents.As anyone who is armed is approached by them or held potential police officers have often tended precaution himself to shoot. Despite the negative effects of free ® gun ownership, there is a fierce lobbying by the National Rifle Association against any attempt to limit the possession of arms. Secondly, the carrying or use of weapons during the commission of a crime usually higher penalties as a result. Americans are subject to tax on all their worldwide income and assets, even if they live and work abroad. 18 However, the US tax may be offset against the foreign taxes. To this end has the Internal Revenue Service (federal tax) offices at US embassies. 19 In the Netherlands, the IRS has no office. Americans living there must report in Frankfurt. 20 Outside the United States, one often has to do with American law because some laws extraterritorially apply. So should US companies and their subsidiaries to respect US laws outside America, even if they conflict with local laws. Further supply the United States are generally not indicted Americans, but persons who violate a US law, even if that did not happen in the United States and even if the persons concerned have never been in the United States, are being sued. In countries not cooperating in the prosecution of such persons, the United States sometimes exert heavy pressure. The use or management of unlawfully expropriated property of Americans like in Cuba, by foreign companies or individuals, legal sanctions may follow by US courts. This is according to American law, considered the use or management of property without the permission of the rightful owners. Economy The New York Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization The United States is rich in mineral resources . The United States possesses about 20% of coal, 13% oil and 24% of natural gas reserves in the world. The oil is extracted mainly in the Gulf of Mexico and in the states of Alaska and Texas . Because of the large surface area and the favorable climate agriculture has always been very important to the United States. The country is a leader in the production ofcheese , corn , soybeans and tobacco . Other important agricultural products are cattle, pig, cow's milk, butter, cotton, oats, wheat, barley and sugar; it is the main exporter in the world wheat and corn and third in the world in rice exports. In 1995, the fishery of the US was fifth in the world in total production. Currently works only 3% of the workforce in agriculture. Thanks to the flat terrain in the Mississippi Plain and the Great Plains , together about half of the US territory, and the high level of technological development has far-reaching agricultural mechanization and productivity is high. Also, many products are exported through the forest. Although the land in the past was virtually self-sufficient, rising consumption continues, especially energy, dependent on certain imports. The energy consumption per capita is around 7.8 tons of oil equivalent per year, after Canada the ninth highest in the world. It leads all nations in the production of liquefied natural gas , aluminum , sulfur ,phosphates and salt . It is also an important producer of copper , gold , coal , crude oil , nitrogen , iron ore , silver , uranium , lead , zinc , mica , molybdenum and magnesium .Although output has declined, the United States is the world leader in the production of pig iron and ferro-alloys , steel , cars and synthetic rubber . The main export products of US motor vehicles, aircraft, food, iron and steel, electronic equipment, industrial and energy-generating machinery, chemicals and consumer goods. Major import items include ores and scrap metal, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, transport equipment (mainly cars), and office products. The main trade partners of the US are Canada (the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world), Mexico , Japan , the United Kingdom , South Korea and Germany . The volume of trade has increased steadily. The gross domestic product has continued to grow and today amounts to $ 11750 billion dollars (11.75 billion), by far the largest in the world. The development of the economy has been spurred by the growth of a complex communications network. This consists not only of railways, roads, waterways and aviation as well as phone, radio, television, computer (including Internet ) and the fax machine. This infrastructure has not only promoted the agriculture and increase production growth, but also contributed to the tourism revenue and the shift to a service-based economy. In 1996, approximately 74% of Americans worked in the service sector. Among countries with a developed economy, this is almost the highest rate, in percentage only Canada has a larger service sector. The United States has already been a dominant global economy, and the average income per person is high. This does not mean that everyone actually has a high income, wealth is unevenly distributed fact. 1% of the population owns more wealth than 90% of the rest of the population to each other. And this gap seems to be widening: the 25% poor income declined between 1979 and 1995 by 9%, while that of the richest 25% increased by 26%. source? There is a big difference in the economic status of the various population groups. Caucasian and Asian families earn on average one and a half to two times as much as black or Hispanic families. 21 The United States has the largest absolute debt in the world. On 13 November 2008 the national debt stood at $ 10,579 billion (€ 8,426 billion). 22 23 The national debt as a percentage of gross domestic productwas in 2007 estimated at 60.8% (position 27). 24 Transport For the large area connecting the United States has a large network of infrastructure whose Interstate Highway System is an important aspect. Americans are highly dependent on the automobile for transportation over short and medium distances. With a few exceptions (eg New York City and San Francisco ) is public transport insufficient to offer an alternative. Cities like Los Angeles are mostly oriented to the car. This partly explains the high energy consumption per capita. For distances longer than 500 km is usually given preference to the aircraft as means of transport. There is also a transcontinental railway system which is used for transporting cargo, although Amtrak maintains a successful fast passenger connection from Boston through New York City to Washington, DC (Northeast Corridor ). This train can compete with air and road connections because the train runs directly from city center to city center. The real long-distance Amtrak trains, which ride to the West Coast for instance Chicago, his luxurious sleeper trains ("cruise on wheels') which are intended mainly for tourists. Since the priority given to freight will run this Amtrak trains are often delayed. Freight Trains shall be as profitable as possible. They are not often several kilometers long and have then spread over the train locomotives in order not to break the links. In addition, the containers are transported above the other (double stack). Culture Coca Cola often serves as a symbol of the culture of the United States Although generally regarded as different from the European culture, the American culture should be regarded as belonging to the Western civilization , like the dominant cultures of other immigration countries such as Canada , Australia and New Zealand . The cultural heritage of the different groups of settlers is usually still recognizable clearly in what Europeans and Latin Americans now as "typical American" or " Anglo-American "recognize, though it is mutated. This is evident from the many forms of Christianity that are practiced in the United States: the theological foundations are often recognizable English, but with the Church of England have few of these societies still a tie. The African-American culture, especially in the music and entertainment its mark on the American heritage. The cultural impressions that the original inhabitants, the Indians negligible, have been left behind. Only in topographical names are many Indian words. The same is true for the language. A large majority (82.1% in the census of 2000 ) of Americans speak English , in a form that people generally recognize as American English. The lower strata of black people speak African-American English , a sociolect highly of the American whites of different. The largest minority language is Spanish (10.7%); all other languages scoring less than one percent: Chinese (0.771% in all variants, which are in fact languages in itself), French (0.627%, including a number of creoles and dialects) and German (0.527%, often in games like Pensylvaans , what is today mostly as a derivative of the German creole language is considered) are the biggest. The by far most of the Native American languages , the Navajo , one finds quite far down the list of American languages arranged by several speakers: it is spoken by 0.068% of the population. The other indigenous languages take joint 0.078% on their behalf. Most Indian languages have become extinct , nearly extinct or highly threatened . American culture has a great influence on the rest of the world, especially the Western world , not only through television and film, but also through literature and lifestyle. Jeans , T-shirt and baseball cap are of American origin. Pop in the US heard around the world; This is largely based on musical forms like country and western , blues and jazz . Many great musicians and orchestras in Western classical music are or were located in the US Worldwide, there are recognizable icons of American popular culture: Walt Disney , John Wayne , Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe . More recent examples are Madonna and Michael Jackson .New York City is seen as a center for opera and instrumental music and the famous Broadway -theaterdistrict which include many musicals can be seen. New York City and San Francisco are world leaders in graphic design and New York and Los Angeles compete with European fashion centers of London, Paris and Milan in the fashion industry. American films (mainly recorded in Hollywood ) and television programs can be seen in many parts of the world. Film industries in other parts of the world are reflected in Hollywood by taking a sound similar name: Bollywood in Bombay, Nollywood in Nigeria. American fast food outlets , which likes to be issued, have nevertheless gained worldwide firm foothold. It can be noted that American culture capital intensive products as TV and film have the advantage of a huge domestic market compared with those from other parts of the world. They can, if they have been successful in America, so are distributed globally competitive prices. This influence is sometimes criticized in popular culture as cultural imperialism , what is often dismissed by noting that it "is eaten. Indeed, there is no consumption under duress. Not everything in American culture is the world as elsewhere; American sports such as American football , baseball and basketball in Europe of marginal importance; American television evangelists like Robert H. Schuller have some airtime on European TV channels, but have little impact and recall even disgust, even among European Christians. source? In Latin America they do it better. source? The emergence of Protestant denominations in that part of the world in recent decades is due largely to North American influence. source? An even more important aspect of American culture is the stimulating environment for scientific research and technological innovation . In the past century, and especially since the Second World War , America has made a disproportionate contribution in these areas. It is no coincidence that the software industry from the end of the seventies in the first place in America developed into a serious industry. Still, the biggest software companies, notably Microsoft , Google Inc. , IBM and Oracle Corporation , of American origin. The American innovative spirit is also reflected in the large number of Nobel Prize winners in physics and chemistry, the attraction since the interwar scientific talent from Europe and more recently in India and East Asia. The US military superiority based largely on technological superiority. Education Education in the United States is mainly managed by individual states. Each of the 50 states has a free public school system ( public school system ). There are also more than 3,500 institutions of higher education, supported by the individual states. The public school system is based on 13 years of education for every student, starting with kindergarten (kindergarten) for five year olds and ending with the twelfth grade, and students their high school diploma earn. Therefore, the system is also called "K through 12", or simply "K12", mentioned. Usually children go through successively three different schools: elementary school , middle school (in some states junior high school ) and high school . If one below wants an education, they will often go to a college . Here one can get a bachelor's degree earn (four year program), or for some studies, a lower associate degree (two years). Even universities offer a program to achieve a bachelor's degree. After this one can possibly a study at a university to pursue a master's degree or a degree of Doctor of Philosophy to achieve. Healthcare The United States has a health care system that has the highest quality and uses the most advanced techniques and performing research. However, this care is expensive and priceless for many Americans. There are two federal social programs: Medicare (65+ and disabled) and Medicaid (the poor), the government pays the cost of medical care. However, there are many Americans who are not eligible for these social programs, whose employer does not offer health insurance and who can not afford private insurance. In 2009, 16.2% of uninsured Americans. 25 That is a big problem, because many health care providers treat patients only if they are insured, or if they have assurance that the patient can cost / will pay. The first relief must always be granted, but caregivers try to get there as much as possible avoid. Among the controversial''Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act'' , better known as Obamacare, the American health sector reform. One of the assumptions is that every American is required to have health insurance, if necessary by public funding. Despite fierce opposition, the number of Americans without health insurance decreased in 2015 to 12.3%. Health care costs 17% of the American GDP , the highest rate in the Western world (for example, France is 9%). Nevertheless, the results are poor, the life expectancy is 79 years, four years less than in Italy.Furthermore, more than one-tenth of the population has no or limited access to health care. There are several reasons for this cost explosion. For most patients, the costs will be paid by insurance and social programs that are usually forced to pay all costs, no brakes on the number or types of treatments that caregivers deem necessary (impose restrictions or waiting lists is politically very sensitive). The caregiver is paid per transaction and thus has every reason to perform many treatments, even if they are not necessary. Moreover, in connection with the America in claim culture, all possible medical tests carried out in order to be able to protect themselves later. Preventive care, which is cheaper in the long term, will not be promoted. The reform aimed to build in financial incentives for a cheaper and more efficient healthcare. Thus, in the future a total treatment or patient paid a lump sum. Are there any complications or need more hospital days than planned, comes at the expense of the practitioner. In a free market the salaries of medical specialists are unlimited and high. In addition, many health care providers pay high premiums to insure themselves against potential claims. In Europe, medical errors very rarely reimbursed and caregivers are better protected. Defense AAV 's on the USS Fort McHenry The Armed Forces of the United States of America include: * United States Army (army) * United States Navy (Navy) * United States Air Force (Air Force) * United States Marine Corps ( Marine Corps ) * United States Coast Guard ( Coast Guard ) The US Coast Guard is not formally part of the armed forces, but falls under the Department of Homeland Security . However, in time of war is the Coast Guard under theDepartment of the Navy . The Coast Guard does have a more or less military hierarchy and its ships are armed. Both land known as Air Force (Air) National Guard Units: active serving reservists. Volunteers spend part of their free time to actively serve in the army, similar to the CorpsNatres in the Netherlands. Unlike the National Reserve, the soldiers of the National Guard assigned to combat units and they can be sent abroad. The constitution provides that the president of the Supreme Commander ( Commander in Chief ) of the armed forces. The daily management is in the hands of the Secretary of Defense (Secretary of Defense) and a deputy minister (Deputy Secretary of Defense). They are assisted by a number of assistant ministers (Assistant Secretary of Defense) for material affairs, personnel affairs, finance etc. The umbrella organization is the United States Department of Defense (DoD), also the Pentagon named after the building where the department is located. Under the Defense Department are three departments for individual Services: Department of the Navy , Department of the Air Force and the Department of the Army. Each is headed by a minister (Secretary) and Deputy Minister (Under Secretary). Both the Navy and the Marine Corps are under the Department of the Navy. The military has 1.4 million active duty holders (without Coast Guard and National Guard). In that respect, it is after the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, the second in size. There are still hundreds of thousands available in the reserves and National Guard. The conscription after the Vietnam War abolished. If the president deems it necessary, he may, with the consent of the Congress, however reenactments. The defense expenditure in 2003 amounted to 370.7 billion dollars (3.3% of GDP ), which is almost half the world's defense spending. The armed forces of the United States is a hierarchical organization with a system of military ranks to denote levels of authority within the organization. The military service is divided into a professional civil service with a greater number of enlisted personnel that the military operations of performing day to day. Admission to the civil service of the United States is not restricted by social status. The US military maintains a number of military awards and honors to denote the qualifications and the special achievements of military personnel. On July 26th 1948 signed US President Harry S. Truman , the Executive Order 9981 which raised the racial separation between the military of the United States. Homosexuals were banned until 2010 from the force (from 1993 until 2010 under the title Do not ask, do not tell , where homosexuals 'in the closet' continued well were allowed). Symbolism Stars and stripes ("Stars' n Stripes") The flag of the United States , the Star-Spangled Banner or stars and stripes , consists of 13 stripes and 50 stars on a blue field. The 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies. The stars represent the current 50 states. For the flags of the states, see: Flags of US sub . There have been several designs before the flag used saw the light today. So there was a design that the stars and stripes 'the other' was, so 13 small dashes upper left and a big blue box with stars, and an increase in the number of stripes with each state who came by. The current design was in 1795 adopted by the Congress. In 1813 Congress ordered to flag maker Mary Pickersgill for making the first official The Star-Spangled Banner , the flag of 10 by 14 meters to go waving over Fort McHenry. It was this flag that amateur poet Francis Scott Key was inspired by the writing of the same anthem. The great seal , which the bald eagle is depicted, dates from 1782 . It is still 2000 to 3000 times per year used to seal official documents. National Holidays Individual states determine the official holidays for their state. All public institutions are usually closed on those days, companies do not always follow the recommendation of the state and continue to operate normally. * New Year's Day , January 1 * Martin Luther King Day , the third Monday in January * President's Day , the third Monday in February * Memorial Day , the last Monday in May * Independence Day , July 4 * Labor Day , first Monday in September * Columbus Day , the second Monday in October (celebrated only in states with a large Italian population) * Halloween , October 31 * Election Day , the Tuesday after the first Monday in November * Veterans Day , Nov. 11 * Thanksgiving Day , fourth Thursday in November * Christmas Day , December 25th The main holidays, which almost all businesses are closed are: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. See also * Americanization * Memberships: APEC , NAFTA , NATO , OSA , United Nations * Tallest buildings in the United States * Monuments on the World Heritage List External link * ( and ) Official website of the government of the United States Category:Country Category:United States